1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to nestable, stackable containers. More particularly, the invention is related to a container apparatus used to transport various types of goods for use in the retail and shipping industries. The containers have a movable bail structure so that they may be nested together, or stacked together at different heights. The containers can be dimensioned so that they are easily arranged on standard pallets, four or five containers to a level.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable storage containers, which both stack and nest with similar containers, are commonly used for transporting and storing goods. Nesting is typically achieved when an empty container receives a like container therein such that there is some overlap between the walls and the containers. On the other hand, the stacking feature is typically used when an occupied container has a like container supported thereon, such that there is relatively little or no overlap between the walls of the containers, and the goods contained in the lower container are preferably not in contact with, or damaged by, the upper container. Many containers use members known as bail arms to achieve the stacking feature. Bail arms may typically be positioned out of the way for purposes of nesting, but then moved to a stacking position to allow containers to be stacked thereon. Often, the stacks may consist of multiple containers having a load. Unfortunately, some containers may not have sufficient strength to accommodate such loads in a stack. Examples of such containers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,743 to Theodor Box, issued on May 7, 1972; U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,369 to Stahl et al. issued on Jul. 5, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,577 to Miller, issued on Mar. 4, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,254 to Loftus et al, issued on Mar. 11, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,259 to Edward Stahl, issued on Aug. 14, 2001; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,722 to Aiken et al., issued on Sep. 6, 2005. Further examples include CA 2,387,497 to Koefelda et al., published on May 3, 2001; EP 0370771 to Tabler et al., published on May 30, 1990; and FR 1,131,652. published on Feb. 26, 1957. Examples of such containers are also disclosed in commonly assigned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/230,831, filed on May 27, 2005; Ser. No. 10/457,398 filed on Jun. 10, 2003; Ser. No. 11/005,920, filed on Dec. 6, 2004; Ser. No. 10/045,035, filed on Jan. 15, 2002; Ser. No. 10/275,735, filed Jun. 17, 2003; and Ser. No. 10/350,735, filed on Jan. 24, 2003.
Further, some containers presently allow for only one stacking position, and thus only a single stacking height. Depending on the goods to be carried by the container, however, this single stacking position may not be efficient. Also, the mounting of many present bail arms may be inefficient, in that the bail arms of some containers may be required to travel a great distance in order to move the bail arm into various positions. Further, many known bails are difficult to manipulate into different stacking/nesting positions, especially with one hand. This is often inefficient, from a design and a handling standpoint.
Still further, the movement of some bail arms is restricted by the design of the receptacle that contains the ends of the bail arms. Some of these receptacles have significant sized humps or bumps (as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,772) that cause the bail movement process to be impeded. Impeding the movement of the bail arm makes it awkward to easily slide the bail arm from one position to another. Considering the scale of today's economy, it is often the case that hundreds or thousands of pieces of product (i.e., goods for sale) must be moved every day, and this can involve a large number of containers. If the movement of the bail arm from position to position is difficult, this can cause work to be slow and frustrating.
Furthermore, known containers lack the ability to securely and easily stack upon each other in other than the fully nested position. Stacking refers to the general condition of placing one container on top of another similar container. Nesting is the ability to fit a first container within a second similar container. “Nearly fully nested” (or nearly fully nesting) means that a first container (i.e., the upper container) fits substantially within a second similar container (i.e., the lower container). “Partially nested” (or partial nesting) means that the first container fits only partially in the second similar container. And “substantially un-nested” means that only a small portion of the first container is within the second similar container. Thus, nested containers are necessarily stacked containers, but stacked containers are not necessarily nested containers. Typically, partial nesting is a desired configuration so that different sizes of products can be carried by the same containers, thereby increasing the efficient use of the containers, saving money for the product shippers and retailers. If, however, the containers do not easily partially nest, or do not easily stack in a substantially un-nested position, stability problems can occur. For example, if the bail arms do not have a well designed mating receptacle, their placement may be inaccurate, and the upper container may slide off the lower container. The industry defines the term “product clearance height” (PCH) as the height difference between the top of the base in a bottom container, and the bottom of the base in a partially nested second container. The PCH value is defined for the type of product that the containers are expected to carry when the containers are partially nested with respect to one another.
Still further, known containers sometimes lack the rigidity and strength to support each other, especially when loaded with heavy products. For example, in the typical known stacking container, the support for the second container is provided only by the bail arm. The bail arm is typically located at an outer extreme portion of the container. The location of the bail arm provides almost the largest possible moment arm for the weight of the container to act on the bail arm. Therefore, the centers of known containers often bend under their own loaded weight. This causes two problems. Initially, the product carried by the container can become crushed or damaged; and, over time, the container itself can become permanently bent or deformed.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a portable container that is capable of nesting and stacking with similar containers, and has the necessary strength to support the loads contained therein, particularly in a multiple stacked orientation. Further, it is desirable to have a container that, when in its stacked position, can accommodate various types and sizes of goods. The container should also have an efficient means of mounting the bail arm, and for providing means for easy bail travel from one position to another.